Improvement in toy money-boxes



S. CLARK. Toy Money-Box.

No. 197,250. Patented Nov. 20, 1877.

N4 PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

v,Nr.rnin STATES PATENT sAMuRL OLARK1 or. BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOY MONEY-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,250, dated November20, 1877; application led October 3, 1877.

rTo all' whom fit may concern Be it known' that I,' SAMUEL CLARK, of thectyOfBrO'OkIyn, in Kings county; and State of New York, have inventedcertain V'new and useful Improvements in Toy Money-Banks, vof which thefollowing is'af speciiication: I combine with a target, having an opencenter, behind which-a coin may be placed to form a bulls7eye, aLcannon, from which'aprojectile may be firedthrough nthe open-center ofthe target, so Tas to lstrike the coin and del liver it into a bankorreceptacle of suitable style. I provide for exploding a cap when theprojectile is fired through the target, in order to enhance the interestof depositing'money in the bank 5 and I perforate the bank, so that theprojectile, after following the coin impelled by it into the bank, maypass out of the bank for further use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of atoy money-bank embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionthereof, taken in front of the target; and Fig. 3, a plan or top view ofa cannon embodying certain features of my invention.l

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The bank itself may be of any appropriate design. I have shown it asforming a miniature fort, A, and as comprising top and bottom sectionsoverlapping the edges of side and end sections and secured together by abolt, a, which serves to fasten all the parts together. A removablesection, B, representing a door, and fastened in place by a lug, b, atone end, and a screw, c, at the other, provides for emptying this bankwithout injuring it.

It will be observed that its bottom, sides, and ends are studded withperforations d, providing for the exit of a projectile which may enterwith a coin, and in its top is a depression or cavity, n, adapted tohold the projectiles which are used.

C designates a target, havingacircular opening, e, at the center, or, inother words, at that part where the bulls-eye is usually located. Hdesignates a housing, located at the rear of this target, and far enoughfrom it to admit of a coin, f, being inserted edgewise behind the targetupon a rest, g, (see Fig. 1,) which will support it so that it will bevisible through the circular opening e, and form the bulls-eye of thetarget. l) designates an inclined slideway, 'extending rearwardly fromthe target, and into such close proximity to the adjacent end of thebank A thatacoin knocked off the rest g by a projectile passing throughthe target may pass edgewise into the bank, but cannot easily escapetherefrom in the same way it entered. l

The device I have shown for firing projectiles through the targetconsists of a cannon, E, arranged opposite the circular opening e in thetarget C. It is hollow throughout its extent, and, to facilitate itscasting in metal, maybe made in sections, the barrel h, one side of thebreech-piece z', and carriage or block j being formed in one piece, andthe other side of the breech-piece and carriage or block being formed inanother piece and secured to the former. The barrel h of this cannon isprovided With a push-piece or ejector, 7c, shown as being secured to arod, l, carrying a hammer, fm, serving to explode a cap, and alsoforming a catch, whereby the firing of the cannon is controlled, andashoulder, againstwhich abuts a spring, o, actuating the said hammer mand push-piece or ejector k, and fitting within and abutting against therear end of the breech-piece z'. A loop, p, or other handpiece, attachedto the rod l, provides for conveniently pulling it back; and a lever, i,provided with a pawl-like nose, s, at the forward end and afinger-piece, t, at the rear end, provides for locking the rod Z and itsappurtenances in position after they have been drawn back and forreleasing them, so that they may act energetically in expelling or ringthe projectile and exploding a cap.

The means for holding the cap to be exploded may consist of a mortise,u, in the breech-piece i of the cannon, near the rear end of the barrelh, when the paper caps or pellets used commonly with toy pistols areemployed; and I have shown a passage, o, opposite this mor tise,communicating with a cavity, fw, in the carriage or block j, and havingan open front, for receiving the waste or remains of these caps orpellets when exploded.

The operation of this cannon is as follows: The rod l is drawn back tillthe hammer m passes the nose s of the lever i, whereupon said nose fallsover the hammer and holds it and the push-piece or ejector la inposition. A small bullet is then inserted in the barrel h, and a cap orpellet is inserted in the mortise or holder u. The finger-piece t of thelever r is then pressed down to raise its nose s, whereupon thepush-piece or ejector k and the hammer m are forced forward by thespring o, the cap is exploded, and the projectile or bullet is iiredthrough the circular opening e of the target C against the coin formingthe bullseye, and the latter is knocked oli' the rest y and falls downthe slideway D into the bank A, the bullet following it and escapingthrough one of the perforations d, so that it may be obtained forfurther use. The exploding of the cap will render the act of depositingmoney in the bank a very interesting pastime, and hence will encouragethe saving of money.

My iiring device may, .of course, be used in other Ways.

I do not claim, broadly, making a toy moneybank in the form of a fort,or even combining with such a bank a target and a device resembling acannon for effecting the entrance of coins through an opening in atarget into such a bank.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a bank, of atarget having a central opening,and a rest for supporting a coin behind its said opening, so as to formthe bulls-eye, and a. device for ring a projectile through the saidopening against the coin so as to knock it into the bank, substantiallyas specified.

2. The combination, with a target having a central opening, of a rest inthe rear thereof for supporting a coin behind said opening to form thebulls-eye, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a target having a central opening and a rest inthe rear thereof for supporting a coin behind said opening, of aslideway extending rearwardly close tothe adjacent end of the back,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of the cannon E, ejector or push-piece p, rod l, thehammer m, cap-receptacle u, catch s, and the spring o, fitting betweenthe hammer m and the breech-piece of the cannon, substantiallyas and forthe purpose specified.

5. The combination, with a target having a central opening and a device'for iring an unattached projectile through the said opening against acoin behind it, of a bank provided with perforations, from which theprojectile may escape after following the coin into the bank,substantially as specified.

SAMUEL CLARK. Witnesses:

THoMAs E. BIRCH, EDWIN H. BRowN.

